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Shadow traffic gone from WPLJ/WABC

S

Shredder

I've heard it called that for years, the name stuck, so sue me :).

Apparently some guy named Jeff McKay is doing it now, with Cumulus in house traffic. Saw this over on the NYRM post.

Joe Nolan is apparently going to stay at WABC. No one's heard word on WPLJ yet. But I also wonder what'll happen to Debbie Duhane and Heather ORourke.. they don't exactly have the same seniority Joe has.

Been listening to heather since she was on air with Rocky allen way back in 2006. You tend to forget that the traffic people are not part of the PLJ mega Conglomerate like the DJ's are.
 
That "some guy" Jeff McKay is a long-time NYC market veteran with many years of experience on WINS and elsewhere.
He made a detour to FM News and has not been heard since that station's demise.
 
luperm said:
That "some guy" Jeff McKay is a long-time NYC market veteran with many years of experience on WINS and elsewhere.
He made a detour to FM News and has not been heard since that station's demise.
Click to expand...

my radio listening these days is mostly casual. Some CBSFM, some Big Joe Henry. the name sounds strangely familiar, but not sure i've heard this guy before
 
Shredder said:
Joe Nolan is apparently going to stay at WABC... But I also wonder what'll happen to Debbie Duhane and Heather ORourke.. they don't exactly have the same seniority Joe has.
Click to expand...

Well, for awhile, O'Rourke had her own customized version of the "Traffic and Weatherrrrrr!" jingle ("Traffic with Heatherrrrrr!"). So she has that on her side.
 
Cumulus will do whatever it can to keep a dollar in house! No Shadow means no Shadow spots so mopre for the Atlanta bunch! What about the weekend news casts, Scot Solito, and all the other folks?
 
I just heard this guy for the first time listening to a recording of race's broadcast from this morning. Does traffic really need a tag line like 'The McKay way?' just be accurate and don't phone it in like they do on NJ101.5 I.E. Travel up the parkway for 40 minutes hearing of a mile long backup that never happens, and still have that backup being reported 20 minutes after you pass the spot in question..

how is this guy on accuracy?

other than that, at least he's listenable...a step up from when debbie d used to stand in for joe.
 
McKay is one of the best. You don't do AM drive on 1010 WINS for years without being on the top of your game. He gives traffic info and also knows the roads like the back of his hand and can give you good alternate routes.

Metro isn't the only game in town anymore, and with all the big group owners not wanting spots from other companies to clear on their stations, they should be worried.

It's not about CC talent, it's about CC spots. Metro works on barter. All of those "traffic brought to you by..." tags are coming from CC/Metro/whatever the hell it is now. If a station or company has their own traffic people, they can sell those!
 
McKay was most recently heard on WCBS-AM as a freelance reporter for the Wall Street Journal Radio Network (the business reports that usually air at :25 + :55 past the hour.

This was after his time as the morning traffic reporter at Merlin's WEMP NYC + WWIQ Philadelphia.
 
pjc1961 said:
McKay was most recently heard on WCBS-AM as a freelance reporter for the Wall Street Journal Radio Network (the business reports that usually air at :25 + :55 past the hour.

This was after his time as the morning traffic reporter at Merlin's WEMP NYC + WWIQ Philadelphia.
Click to expand...

I just saw an all access article someone posted on Joe's facebook page. doesn't seem like any of the stations he's been on recently are ones i've listened too. also seems like there might be a riot by plj listeners if the support for joe is any indication, heh.
 
well, i'm not a fan of this new guy so far. he seems to mention only new york traffic and major road ways. the only NJ mentions i've heard so far are the parkway and turnpike. although this might not be his fault, it could be cumulus traffic policy to only cover traffic where your antenna is located..When Joe was on, he'd mention delays even as far south as Seaside Park from time to time.

His audio signal also sounds like it belongs on an AM broadcast. it even cuts in and out like he's going through a tunnel on occasion, with bad audio distortion.

the other thing he's got to learn is how to turn off his mic when the show is doing things like news updates. he cut in over coopers report, and we heard him discussing something over the 'mona lisa is a man' blast off music.

this is what you get when you try and save money :).

update's from Nolan's page, however, show some kind of negotiations are in progress to get him back on. i'd be curious if he'd be able to return as a traffic reporter somehow, or if he's just be returning as an air personality..
 
luperm said:
That "some guy" Jeff McKay is a long-time NYC market veteran with many years of experience on WINS and elsewhere.
He made a detour to FM News and has not been heard since that station's demise.
Click to expand...
He was on down in Philly on WWIQ also in the morning. He was still on down here for awhile after FM news went away up there in NYC.
 
word on the air is that joe nolan will apparently be back soon.

Only S and T are calling this a 'contract negotiation'. From what I've understood, it's not just Joe that is gone, but Heather and the others as well. Mr.McKay is doing traffic for the entire station, correct? As I understood it Cumulus kicked clear channel out, so i can't understand how joe could come back to do traffic....but would be very glad if he did!
 
The irony is that WPLJ/WABC's sister station WFME (it was official as of yesterday) has had traffic reports that have drawn rave reviews on this board and the other NY board (mostly the other board). I'd imagine that whatever 94.7's new format is will use the same person for 770/95.5 - maybe it'll be the one previously employed by Family Radio?
 
DToTheJ said:
The irony is that WPLJ/WABC's sister station WFME (it was official as of yesterday) has had traffic reports that have drawn rave reviews on this board and the other NY board (mostly the other board). I'd imagine that whatever 94.7's new format is will use the same person for 770/95.5 - maybe it'll be the one previously employed by Family Radio?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt they'll keep Tom Note's twice hourly, very detailed traffic reports on the new 94.7.
His report often go on for 5 minutes. Well suited for Family Radio, but not really a good fit for a more faster paced format that's broad-based. Most traffic reports are quick hits -- 30-45 seconds max plus a spot (and often not all that useful).
 
luperm said:
DToTheJ said:
The irony is that WPLJ/WABC's sister station WFME (it was official as of yesterday) has had traffic reports that have drawn rave reviews on this board and the other NY board (mostly the other board). I'd imagine that whatever 94.7's new format is will use the same person for 770/95.5 - maybe it'll be the one previously employed by Family Radio?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt they'll keep Tom Note's twice hourly, very detailed traffic reports on the new 94.7.
His report often go on for 5 minutes. Well suited for Family Radio, but not really a good fit for a more faster paced format that's broad-based. Most traffic reports are quick hits -- 30-45 seconds max plus a spot (and often not all that useful).
Click to expand...

just as a personal preference, I couldn't deal with a 5 minute traffic report. On the other hand, I hate 30 second reports where the tag is longer than the useless report :). I've heard that on a few stations from time to time. Very frustrating when you are sitting in traffic for 40 minutes not moving and they don't even begin to get to your area :). There's gotta be a nice middle somewhere!
 
Joe returns to ESPN radio.. Is it a return, or a brand new gig? Never heard that station before. Apparently he's being branded as 'ABC7 traffic'. Maybe that's the
key...quit metro, out source traffic from WABC TV.

There was another classic jeff mckay moment on today. After the second phone scam, they went to him and we heard a 30 second add and the tag line for 77wabc. Then when he came back, the commercial he read was so long, the long song instrumental almost ended.

Hopefully with Joe on ESPN, this boads well for his return to PLJ.
 
Or, there's no way Joe can return to 'PLJ what with the agreements Cumulus/WPLJ has with their traffic source and he just needs a gig (ESPN Radio 98.7 and WABC-TV both owned by Disney).

Or, as you say, if he's now considered an "independent contractor" so to speak and is just working for "ABC-7" rather than one of the traffic sources, that could help him return to 'PLJ mornings.

Another possibility: Joe could return as a member of the "Big Show" while Jeff McKay continues with the reports.
 
pjc1961 said:
Or, there's no way Joe can return to 'PLJ what with the agreements Cumulus/WPLJ has with their traffic source and he just needs a gig (ESPN Radio 98.7 and WABC-TV both owned by Disney).

Or, as you say, if he's now considered an "independent contractor" so to speak and is just working for "ABC-7" rather than one of the traffic sources, that could help him return to 'PLJ mornings.

Another possibility: Joe could return as a member of the "Big Show" while Jeff McKay continues with the reports.
Click to expand...
it would be nice to have him in studio again like he used to be. i thought a bit of the dynamic was lost when he moved to channel 7.

but they need someone new doing traffic. can't stand the new guy
 
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